One of the most difficult of all human experiences is being sick. Typically, we would do anything and everything to get healed: In the Gospel, we hear of two cases of sick people. One thing in common was that both were already desperate. The first case was the synagogue officer: He fell at his feet…
Category: Life and Death
Peace and Family
Whenever we celebrate Mass for a deceased parent, we are honoring their memory. A testimony that these have indeed bore fruit is that peace is further in the family. Peace is a very important theme in Gospel readings because we are told: If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able…
Best Friend
There is a saying, “Things are never quite as scary when you have a best friend.” What are the qualities of best friends? In the Gospel, Jesus healed a paralytic because of faith – the faith of his friends. Hence, when a good friend passes away, three things we remember: Thank you, Lord for the…
Persecution
According to the group Open Doors USA, 360 million Christians in 2021 lived in countries where persecution was “significant.” Roughly 5,600 Christians were murdered, more than 6,000 were detained or imprisoned, and another 4,000-plus were kidnapped. In addition, more than 5,000 churches and other religious facilities were destroyed. This is something that should not be…
Hope in the Goodbyes of Life
There is a saying that life is a series of hellos and goodbyes. This is only natural in a world wherein nothing is permanent and all is passing fleeting. A few days ago, we welcomed 2024 with hope. Also, we looked back at the past with all the joys and pains, ups and downs, good…
Being Prepared
For those who are in their 50s and above, and especially after going through Covid, we are reminded that we are only passing by in this world. Hence, every now and then we ask ourselves: Am I really prepared to go? Will I leave the world a better place to live in? Will my children…
One and Only
We live in a throw-away generation. Just look at how we treat material things: If a new one comes along, discard the old one. If you lose something, just replace it with a new one. When something is of no value, then just throw it away. The sad reality is that this is also how…
True Wealth
One of the desires of families as it was then and as it is now, is to preserve whatever wealth they have. One way this becomes a reality is through marriage. Yes, there are people who enter marriage not principally out of love but to preserve the wealth. That is why in the Gospel story…
All Things Come to Pass
Once upon a time in New York there existed the World Trade Center. The Twin Towers of 110 floors were completed in 1973. In 2001, it was brought down by terrorists when two planes crashed on both towers. It was a strange feeling that the symbol of American capitalism was brought down just like that. …
The Lord Loves a Generous Giver
In my 7 years as a parish priest, the one thing I noticed about the goodness of the Lord: God will bless those who help his Church. People who shared their time, talent, and treasure, were blessed by God abundantly. In one of the Gospel stories, Jesus healed a slave of the centurion because of…
3 Ways 2 Your 1 God 